Polonium-210 traces found in West End restaurant

Traces of the poison that is believed to have killed the former Russian agent, Alexander Litvinenko, have been found in a London West End restaurant as detectives continue their investigation into his death. Staff at the restaurant are being tested as a precaution but members of the public who might have visited it were told that there was "no significant risk" to their health.

The discovery of traces of the radioactive isotope polonium-210 in the Pescatori restaurant in Dover Street came as a result of the continuing police investigation which found that people connected with Mr Litvinenko had dined there. The information was passed to the Health Protection Agency which has been monitoring the traces found in various London locations since Mr Litvinenko's death at University College hospital on November 23 last year.

"As a result of a recent request from the Metropolitan police, the HPA has carried out monitoring of Pescatori which has been linked to the Litvinenko police investigation," said an HPA spokesman.

"Some evidence of contamination with polonium-210 has been detected. Remediation measures have been carried out successfully at the restaurant which is now open for business. On the basis of the monitoring results received there is no public health concern. On the basis of experience of other sites which were contaminated and investigated, we do not anticipate any significant health risk to staff or customers of the restaurant."

Staff at the restaurant are taking up the offer of urine tests as a precautionary measure, the area manager, Giuseppe Mare, said yesterday. Mr Mare added that the restaurant was open and everything was back to normal.

Traces of the polonium-210 at the centre of the investigation have been found at 13 different sites in London and on three aircraft. Twelve people associated with different sites have tested positive for low levels of polonium-210 but at levels unlikely to result in short-term illness or significantly increase the risk of ill-health in the long term, according to the HPA. In addition, a total of 571 people have been tested at their own request and nothing of concern has been found. The HPA is also offering further advice to people who were in the Pine Bar in the Millennium hotel on November 1.

Mr Litvinenko, a 43-year-old former KGB agent, was a fierce critic of the Russian president, Vladimir Putin. He had been investigating the murder of the prominent Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya, another critic of the Putin government. Shortly before he died, he accused Mr Putin of ordering his murder. The Kremlin has dismissed the allegation as "nonsense".

The team of Scotland Yard detectives that carried out interviews in Moscow in connection with the death returned before Christmas. A Metropolitan police spokesperson said last night that the murder investigation was continuing.